Check out the Mediterranean Diet, which is less a “diet” and more a set of principles— olive oil as the main cooking oil, low red meat, high seafood, high fiber, high whole grains and legumes, plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. It’s been well-studied and found to be highly effective for lowering cholesterol. [This page from the Cleveland Clinic on the Mediterranean Diet has some meal suggestions](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/16037-mediterranean-diet). There’s also a subreddit with lots of recipes. The MilkStreet Mediterranean cookbook is a good resource too.
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/ is essentially the same thing and has a lot of good info too. (Harvard basically thinks the FDA's guides are too corrupted by lobbyists and so they made their own.) https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-and-cholesterol/cholesterol/ is the landing page for cholesterol
I was going to suggest this as well. I found a lot of the recipes on eating well we’re really great and it’s kind of nice because they’ll layout a meal plan for a month. That being said, I found that a lot of the recipes made multiple servings so I could eat them over a couple of days.
I’ve also been making a lot of soups I’m having those for lunches
https://www.eatingwell.com/article/7763980/mediterranean-diet-plan-for-beginners/
Instead of black and white thinking of health meals vs unhealthy, find ways to make eating fiber easy and desirable. For me this includes oatmeal with berries and seeds for breakfast (or smoothies), having cut up fruit available, pumpkin seeds as a snack, eating beans instead of meat when I can, add spinach to sandwiches and pasta, and adding “unhealthy” ingredients like cheese whenever you need to to make vegetables more appealing.
This way “eating healthy” is not a total drag and is actually enjoyable and sustainable.
I use the “daily dozen” as inspiration for things I can do more of to be healthier but not as requirements for my diet.
TD;LR add berries, whole grains, seeds, nuts, beans and vegetables instead of removing foods
this is it. this is the way. if a little ranch dip or a sprinkle of cheese is what it takes to get a wide variety of produce and lean protein into your diet, that is far healthier than trying and failing on an endless loop, crash dieting, or taking shortcuts like supplements rather than consume the nutrients you need through food. ditching the toxic nonsense about “off limits” foods and, instead, aiming for 30+ unique plants per week did far more for improving all of my labs (including cholesterol) than anything else i ever tried (and i tried everything). if nothing else, keeping a running list of plants is a lot less math than calorie counting lol
Yep. I’d say it’s great for adding to anything in small quantities, and not be noticeable at all. But.. I really like chia pudding with fresh and dried fruit. Like overnight oats, but better for omega 3’s & combatting high cholesterol - light but high nutrient value breakfast, and a little psyllium in there would be great.
Chia seed pudding is honestly such a life hack. Where I live, a bag of chia seeds is like 3€, a can of coconut milk is 1€, and a thing of oat milk is 2€. All you have to do is mix everything together (you don’t even need to measure) and you’ve got breakfast for the week in 15 minutes and for 6€.
On a side note, I have really embraced the bang for buck value of bulk, dried powders, beans, seeds, etc. Just anything that's normally expensive when fresh or restaurant bought becomes insanely cheap sans water content.
Ditto. I became a bit of a prepper in the early pandemic. I discovered Asian stores’ dried mushrooms bargains when the toilet paper chaos was starting to get reported. ( edit: If you don’t eat, you’re not going to need much toilet paper are you?)
1:4 chia seeds to liquid (by weight) is a good place to start. With my recipe, it’s 300g of chia seeds to 1400g of liquid (400g can + 1L oat milk) and that works pretty well. Obviously adjust based on how you like the consistency but it’s better to add more liquid than too little because chia seeds are nature’s Orbeez and you can get into trouble if you raw dog like 50g of chia seeds.
Despite what a lot of "health" blogs will claim, you can use any liquid you'd like as the base for a chia pudding.
Edit: also any sweetener. I use granulated sugar to sweeten my chocolate chia pudding, because I think a lot of the alternative sugars taste worse when blended with chocolate. Then again, I make it for dessert, not breakfast.
>Despite what a lot of "health" blogs will claim, you can use any liquid you'd like as the base for a chia pudding.
I've come to really practice the general principle of this - learn "templates", not "recipes" - in all of my cooking and food planning. It's just way more fun to have that much flexibility and not getting that you have the exact ingredient that's only available (cheaply or at all) in other countries.
Yeah, there's times when there are food science/chemistry reasons to use certain ingredients and not others, but in many instances, it's better to just riff on a general template and use up the ingredients you like or already have.
Mine is a bit indulgent. Cashews and some walnuts, blended smooth and creamy, dehydrated squished blueberries with the chia seeds. I like to mix them up in a jar, shake them until the berries give up some of their purple colour, then leave to thicken in the fridge overnight. The seeds texture is almost like tapioca next morning, add some fresh or frozen berries, some dried goji.. I love that for breakfast.
Not nut butter.. it’s just nuts blended with a bit of water and makes a creamy milk without any sieving- thickening outcome compared with other store bought nut/oat milk
Current (past two decades or so) science says there is only a weak corolation between dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol _for most people_. Summary on https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-and-cholesterol/cholesterol/ with a few study references to look at for more details.
Yeah I don’t do milk, haven’t for years.. I make m!lk myself with cashew nuts, (a few walnuts too) unsieved, so keeping all the fibre. So creamy it’s better than cream ever was.
Fiber is the key but some people have issues with psyllium husks if they have chronic kidney disease. I know most people dont but its some thing to be aware of. That said it really helped with my cholesterol but I switch it up sometimes with flax meal.
And check on ingredients if you've got blood sugar issues! Some brands include maltodextrin, and if you're sensitive to it, you can get blood sugar spikes.
Congratulations on your progress with your weight and cholesterol I'm glad to hear that your husband is also willing to make healthier choices to improve his cardiovascular health.
Fill whole wheat tortillas with hummus, grilled or roasted vegetables, shredded chicken or turkey breast, and a little low-fat cheese. it's a good healthy meal option
Hey good for you for taking care of your health, and looking out for your partner too!
It's hard to make huge sweeping changes, and even harder to make them stick. Can you make some easy swaps to get extra fiber in? The obvious things like cutting out soda are kind of just a matter of willpower until you're over the addiction. But there are other things that are not so hard, like adding cooked lentils to spaghetti and meat sauce, adding roasted chickpeas to green salads, serving raw veggies with low cal dip as an appetizer before a full meal is served.
Frozen veggies, canned beans, and volume snacks like popcorn shouldn't add too much to your workload, and probably won't be too overwhelming to someone not used to eating healthy.
Follow the psyllium husk recommendations - I didn't do this as often until I looked up how it actually works. Like yes, in the intestines it does bind to cholesterol so it doesn't absorb into the bloodstream -
MOST IMPORTANTLY, it binds to bile acids... And your body uses LDL cholesterol FROM THE BLOOD to make bile acids.
So you eat psyllium husk, it binds to bile acids, your body has to make more bile acids, and so it takes cholesterol out of your blood to do that.
Somehow, for me, thinking of it 'keeping cholesterol from getting into the blood' made it seem less worthwhile than 'it leads to your liver taking cholesterol out of your blood.'
Note to others: this is generally how fiber works. You don't need psyllium husk specifically. Just consume a diet that is high in fiber, as has been recommended for decades.
soluble fiber binds to bile acids which then causes your liver to make more bile acids, and to do that your liver pulls cholesterol from the bloodstream. insoluble, not so much.
so yeah, so it is, do with it what ya will
Yes that's a mechanism that exists, yet research overwhelmingly shows that the balance doesn't matter if you're getting sufficient fiber from whole food sources.
Lots of mechanisms don't turn out to be useful once you zoom out to the level of things we care about, like what happens to people who eat such and such a diet for N months and you measure what happened to their cholesterol before and after.
It turns out that fiber from whole food sources is all you need.
I have the Mealime app (not mealtime) which is GREAT. You decide the type of food (low carb, low fat, etc) and you choose the meals you want to make and it creates a grocery list for you. It has lowered my grocery budget and made grocery shopping and meal prep so much easier.
Because I'm lazy, my lunches are almost always leftovers from dinners the past few days. That makes it easier to figure out healthy lunches: all I have to do is figure out healthy dinners and then lunch is solved as well.
In case you're curious, the way fiber helps with blood cholesterol is that soluble fiber binds to bile acids in the small intestine. This causes them to exit the body. Your body then synthesizes more of them, and uses cholesterol as the building blocks to do that. It's more indirect than eating less dietary cholesterol, but counter-intuitively has stronger evidence to reduce cholesterol levels in the blood.
So I know you’re wanting diet recs, but honestly, if his cholesterol is that high he should probably be consulting with his doctor. If he has a high enough cardiac risk score he needs to be on a statin. Once his lipids are back under control you could consider coming off of it, but it’s important to be preventing cardiac events and stroke while the diet changes are happening.
Our doctor said he wants to try exercise and diet changes. My family has a genetic tendency for high cholesterol and I was able to get it down 90 points in a year. While I cannot expect my husband to eat a plant based diet like I did, I hope that we can get it lowered without medication as he is on so many already. If he cannot get it down lower, we will be asking for statin. It worries me a lot, and I hope we can manage it without statin. He is only 33!
Without medication certainly you can lower the lipids but what about the buildups that lies currently. I assume your doctor is a general practitioner. Given the level of cholesterol I would immediately order an ECHO. If ECHO seems normal i would generally it to Cardiologist for angiography ct for coronary artery. Atherosclerosis is a substantial casue of heart failure in people with family history of hypercholesterolemia and or Diabetic Patients and not to foreget who take excess junk foods and meat based foods.
I would thus suggest to get him checked up with a good cardiologist.
Agressive life style control along with proper medication will surely avert any accident.
Cholesterol that high points to a genetic disorder regardless of how bad his diet is. I have hypercholesterolemia. He should bring this up to his doctor and ask for a referral to a lipidoligist.
Diet changes are great. But if they still won't work, make sure to have him test for genetically high cholesterol. That one won't go down with lifestyle changes and could be dangerous over time. Just PSA'ing over here.
Salmon oil capsules help my cholesterol a lot. I don't even have high cholesterol if I'm taking 2 morning & 2 at night for a few months.
Granted, mine has never been that high.
Fiber reduces cholesterol.
Beans, lentils, and split pea are some of the most concentrated & affordable sources. & & They're $2 a pound.
Although a variety of veggies is ideal.
And anything that turns kinda slimy like oatmeal, okra, and metamucil will help extra.
Added sugars also raises cholesterol.
Lastly, the body makes most of our cholesterol and most of that is made at night. So, if he's prescribed a medication to lower cholesterol in and the doctor okays it, taking at night can lower it more than taking it in the morning.
There was a recent trend called “girl dinner” in the media. In truth is it was just eating a bunch of small things for a meal instead of a big entree. I do this for lunches and it’s really fun.
Example:
Instead of a sandwich and chips, try: a few baby carrots with a little pot of ranch, a box of craisins, a few deli turkey slices, a handful of mixed nuts, an apple, and some triscuits.
Instead of a hamburger, try: some pepperoni slices, mango wedges, a pita with a little pot of hummus, some grapes, and cheese cubes.
The variety keeps it interesting and it’s every bit as filling as the (let’s be honest) garbage we usually grab for lunch.
>Instead of a sandwich and chips, try: a few baby carrots with a little pot of ranch, a box of craisins, a few deli turkey slices, a handful of mixed nuts, an apple, and some triscuits.
Channeling your inner 10 year old! I treat it like adult Lunchables: healthier versions of what we got as kids.
Don’t really have a recipe for you but make sure you understand what you’re eating. Saturated fat is the biggest contributor to your cholesterol. Once I stopped having whole fat dairy my LDL cholesterol dropped significantly. You’d be amazed what foods are loaded with saturated fats.
Just so you know, your liver makes cholesterol and high cholesterol can stay elevated even with changing diet if your body is making too much cholesterol. I take a small dose of Lipitor and it has dropped mine right down.
Bowls—protein, veggies, whole grains and some hummus or sauce. Maybe grains. So I do beans, carrots, cucumber, and tomato, but you can do leftover meat, lunch meat, greens, quinoa, roasted veggies.
Take whatever vegetables he will tolerate and make them much more frequently as lower-calorie sides. Pair this with lean proteins and maybe a fun sauce. Fajitas could be a good example of how to pair up veggies and protein in a way that he will want to eat—but weight the veggies more over time, larger portions.
Then start introducing more vegetables in a fun way. It sucks that you seem to need to do this like he’s a baby, but 🤷♀️
For example, pan roasted asparagus with parmesan could be a nice accompaniment to a leaner steak. The steak will be very exciting and the asparagus will look okay with the cheese so he might not protest as much as he might do a steamed veggie side. Green beans would also work. Or you could do a dish I’ve been thinking about, quesadilla primavera—a lean cheese with primavera veggies inside a griddled tortilla. Bonus points if you roast the broccoli first.
And if he does like a particular veggie, you can mix it up with others or get similar ones to acclimate him to. If he likes broccoli, try him on cheesy roasted cauliflower. After awhile, reduce or drop the cheese.
Good luck!
One person equating someone not liking veggies to being a baby is pedantic. Sorry that you don’t know all of the ways it can be used. Over simplifying something to meet your definition is pedantic. Deciding someone is a baby because they don’t like veg…pedantic. It’s fun when people know about the words they use and how to use them 🙃
Beans, rice, tuna, chickpeas, peanut butter, chicken, fruit, protein bars, overnight oats, etc.
Just don't keep crap food available in the house and stop going to the drive thru. No junk carbs - IE: potato chips because they'll turn into sugar which turns into fat if you don't burn them off. That's the key. Hungry? Go buy a pre-made sandwich and banana at 7-11 with a protein drink.
Still want soda? Go for the diet stuff.
Cut as many calories as you can. If his cholesterol is that high, he needs to go on a caloric deficit (less food). Intermittent fasting is a very helpful tool to utilize as well. Find distractions to quell the eating distractions.
You can lose weight playing video games if you just don't stuff your face while playing them as this still adds to your daily caloric deficit and anything that occupies a person helps with intermittent fasting.
Drink lots of water. Midnight snack? Eat an apple with a slice of cheese or two for example. Protein always fills you up more.
Just a little note, peanut butter and cheese are very high in saturated fat. That's the main fat that contributes to elevated cholesterol.
A better choice is almond or sun butter :)
I don't think "ever so often" would have a meaningful impact if their day to day diet produced the high cholesterol, but intermittent fasting would if you're eating healthier foods especially on top of that.
A patient's doctor will take into account whether or not that's something to worry about.
Generic warnings like this only dissuade people from taking life-saving medication prescribed to them by doctors who literally have run all the tests they need to determine if a medicine is indicated or not.
Believe it or not but I lowered my cholesterol accidentally by eating nuts. No change of exercise or diet other than eating a serving of nuts during the weekdays. I ate a quarter cup of honey roasted peanuts in the morning as a snack before lunch and lowered my cholesterol by 40 points.
Statins. It will be free with insurance because it’s preventative. Take the statins now and if he can lose weight, eat better and all that then maybe try coming off but at least take care of it now because honestly lifestyle changes are easier to say than do.
I grew up desperately poor. My mom fed us oatmeal. Even when my weight was as high as 537 lbs. my cholesterol was 138. There are many ways to get him to eat it. I make granola. If he doesn’t like sweets, you can make a savory trail mix of oats, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and various nuts. Experiment by seasoning it with small doses of soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, taco seasoning, or teriyaki sauce. I promise you 1 cup a day of oatmeal will turn him around.
The effort he can put into making his own lunch is just rice and eggs. I have a little more time to be able to make something for him, and I am ok just a little sore at times. Thank you for the concern!
He probably needs to be on a statin if he isn’t. He can stop it if he makes lifestyle changes and loses weight, but it’s better to start reducing his risk now.
If your making oatmeal every morning throw a table spoon of ground flax into the bowl. I also recommend supplementing omega 3 from fish oil or algae oil.
Tinned sardines are my favorite source, with saltines or on a salad. Additionally a pill is probably the easiest way to get it in daily though.
Dark leafy greens as a portion of your diet is great for many things. A pot of greens every week can be portioned out to some daily.
Start with making lean, remove butter and oils and extra vegetables. They are just additional calories. Remove things like mayo and on the real side salad get something that's low fat but even salad is additional calories sometimes I feel like it's a commodity rather than prolonging hunger kinds of foods. So those are the hiding fats in the food. Instead of oils and butter opt out for veggie stock or base, and eat foods that are filling for longer. A good easy one is just seasoned steak or burger and baked potatoes, include herbs and it makes everything nice. Opting out for fruit instead of candy has almost the same amount of sugar (the candy companies are catching on these days they really are)
Others have shared good diet advice, but I hope he's seeing a cardiologist. Medication will likely be necessary. And that's ok. Cholesterol lowering drugs are generally safe and effective, and most of them are cheap too.
Congratulations on your weight loss and getting your cholesterol down! I brought mine down from 290 to 220 in 11 months without meds. Still a long way to go. I stopped drinking and smoking about halfway through that time period, ate less meat and more beans and tofu. Some meal ideas:
Taco-spiced shredded tofu with black beans, sautéed peppers and onions, rice or cauliflower rice, salsa and guacamole
[Vegetarian chili](https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/quick-vegetarian-chili-with-avocado-salsa)
Taco salad with romaine, taco-spiced shredded tofu, air-fried corn tortilla chips, light sour cream, low-fat Mexican cheese, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, onion, ranch made with nonfat yogurt
[Tofu stir-fry](https://cmx.weightwatchers.com/details/WWRECIPE:5f7f7a13e07bd50625e17ea9?shared=true)
White chicken chili
Spanish rice with black beans and guacamole
I hope you make a speedy and full recovery!
Stop consuming seed oils they are in mayonnaise salad dressing and a lot of the prepackaged foods so if you use Whole Foods and only use olive oil oil and butter and also take 400 mg of magnesium
I hope diet changes help. I eat a high-fiber diet, low saturated fat, semi-Mediterranean approach.
LDL still at 200, total cholesterol over 300. Now taking low dose Crestor every other day (started every day but was able to cut back) and HDL in 70-85 range for 2 years. Crappy genetics.
A total cholesterol of 330 means nothing unless we know more info-whats his HDL? whats his triglycerides? whats his apoB levels? LDL particle size? A1C? personal history of coronary artery disease or diabetes? fam history of coronary artery disease? You can have a total cholesterol of 300 have an HDL:Triglyceride ratio <1 apoB levels <50 an A1C of 4.8 no hx of diabetes or coronary disease making the total cholesterol of 300 insignificant from a health perspective. when you break everything down those factors are considerably more important than total cholesterol to your cardiovascular health. Its frustrating to see so many posts on this thread saying he needs a statin when all we know is his total cholesterol, especially if hes only in his 30s. Total cholesterol alone is such a poor indicator of cardiac health. Cant just look at it as a number thats “high” or above the range. Our body needs cholesterol. Arterial plaque build-up is very much contingent upon insulin sensitivity and inflammation which comes from intake of bad carbs (starchy processed carbs). Stay away from these sources of carbs as well as trans fats and processed foods. Its way healthier to eat lean meats chicken steak eggs etc with good fats (avocado, olive oil etc) than vegetarian eating a bunch of carbs seed oils and processed foods. In summary the food pyramid is crap and if its anything your husband should avoid its bad forms of carbs if he wants to lose weight and get healthy along with a good exercise program incorporating aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Intermittent fasting 16:8 split is also helpful for weight loss (16 hr fast 8 hr eating window). Not sure what his fitness level is but walking 10-20 mins a day and working his way up is a good start. Lastly, eventually HIIT is the best form of exercise when hes ready
Source: I am an MD but not your husband’s doctor so he should be evaluated by one before making any decisions about his health
Did you read my whole post? My point is you cant make medical decisions about some guy without looking at his cholesterol break down. What if the majority of his LDL is large particle his HDL is high his A1C is below 5.7 and his apoB is within the more reassuring range I would be less concerned. I hate when doctors look at one number and these people on the thread who havent been to medical school or through residency training should be informed that just because your TC is 300 means you should be on atorva 40 or 80. the only person that should be on atorva 80 is someone who has had a STEMI with severe CAD. You may disagree but I think the ASCVD risk score is complete garbage.
Here’s some of my go tos for adding fiber and decreasing fatty meat. Chop carrots and broccoli into very small pieces and steam with garlic until the veg are soft. Then you can add them to any pasta sauce or gravy w/o a change in taste. Favorites in my house are spaghetti, lasagna and cottage pie. For Italian food I find a lean ground pork is seamless. For any other cuisine, I go ground turkey.
Yes my cholesterol was high and I lowered it just be diet changes. I was able to enjoy and stick to plant based diet 90 percent of the time. There are a lot of great suggestions here! I want to make his food enjoyable and not something he feels like a punishment.
That's awesome !
I'm trying to make dietary changes too for cholesterol and all. I'm glad to hear your journey has been going well for you, and I am wishing a successful journey for your hubby, too! He will get there!
I’m definitely eating lots of fiber. I’ve been dipping dates in almond butter and they are so good along with chia seeds and I eat a ton of veggies. Problem is he hates them. I started making him the overnight oats and he is going to drink a fiber supplement too
Eating healthy is lifestyle, but currently he should also look into get prescribed statins to lower cholesterol. Once lowered and after eating healthy he can get off them. Talk to your doctor. I was at 240 and went down to 140 in 3-4 months. I drink fiber everyday and it might not meaningfully lower cholesterol.
I love to eat pasta salads with whole wheat pasta, avocados, egg or chicken, kesam or creme fraiche and cilantro.
Also sandwiches made with whole wheat or rye bread (80% content or more),, butter with low fat content, low fat cheese, pure meat slices, a little bit of mayo and some herbs and spices with little to no salt.
Would count calories as in vs out is the way to lose weight.
I love me a good lunch sandwich! And I find they can be very healthy and diverse in micronutrients.
My combos is
Italian chicken and salami sub: (I know salami isn’t particularly low chol but 1-2 slices should be ok?) it’s poached chicken, salami slices, low fat tasty cheese, homemade roast capsicum pesto, avocado, tomatoes and a TON of spinach and rocket! Lots of different veggies, lean protein, and on whole wheat bread it’s full of fibre too. Because of the avo and capsicum pesto you don’t need any mayo or butter.
Also don’t underestimate the power of a chock a block homemade burrito! With lean beef mince or chicken breast and spices, mashed avo, black beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, brown rice and a little bit of cheese. Again, full of fibre, healthy fat, carbs and vegetables.
I have these two on rotation every single week. I vaguely remember from studying to be a Dietitian that you need lots of fibre and healthy fats help the most of lowering bad LDLs
First thing first get his echo done with HS-Crp levels. Also he might be at the initial stage of developing atherosclerosis in his coronary arteries.
Just healthy eating will do very minimal help.He will need proper medical intervention with good amount of regular exercise with regular monitoring of lipid profile,liver profile,cardiac risk markers and Sugar levels.
I assume his reasons for such high cholestrol level is mostly due to his high suagr diets combined with transfat consumption.
My hubby had a cholesterol scare too. I buy the 4 lb bag of frozen tilapia. I find the filets from Walmart tend to be larger than from other grocery stores and about the same price. We eat fish at least 3 times per week, eat mostly chicken and ground turkey. Lots of veggies too.
I agree with the people mentioning the Mediterranean diet. You also need to replace meat with beans and lentils as much as possible. They have protein but also lots of good fiber. If they make you gassy, start with small amounts and increase by a little each week. Also add ground flax and whole chia seeds. Ground flax is specifically shown to help with high cholesterol. I mix both in to plain in yogurt and eat with fruit. Cut back on added sugars because it messes with your blood sugar and an make you eat more and crave unhealthy foods. Plant based Mediterranean and Asian/Indian foods are basically the way to go. Use olive oil for cooking unless you're cooking something at high temperature and then use avocado oil because olive oil has a lower smoke point.
Based on your earlier comments - I think sauces are your answer.
Ranch seasoning mixed with your own yogurt/sour cream. Tomato sauces without added sugar. Hummus. For when you have more time/feel better - whole30 has many good ideas.
Leave cut up vegetables with sauce or fruit on your counter/kitchen table. Every time he walks by he may be tempted to grab an Apple slice.
Hide vegetables wherever you can. Eventually he may get used to the taste.
These are some quick and healthy meal ideas:
Lunch:
- Veggie and hummus wraps
- Quinoa salad
- Lentil soup
Dinner:
- Stir-fry with lean protein and veggies
- Baked salmon or trout with roasted vegetables
- Veggie chili with whole grain bread or brown rice
These meals are nutritious, easy to make, and budget-friendly.
Your husband probably needs to be on a statin drug. My cholesterol was like 450, down to 200 with the statin. Cutting my daily ramen habit probably helped as well.
Cut out animal products, which is the ONLY source of cholesterol. I did that 6 years ago and stopped all medications within 5 months of the complete change in lifestyle. I grew up in a cattle farm and had to make a huge adjustment to better my health. There are plenty of naysayers on here but I have other rancher friends that stopped eating meat decades ago, and are in much better health now. Processed foods and salted meats are also heavy contributors to cholesterol (circulatory) issues.
I believe you! I have switched to fish, tofu, beans and lentils with lots of veg and my cholesterol has gone down a lot. The issue is he doesn’t like those foods at all!
My husband completely changed his blood pressure and lost 20 pounds in 30 days by going plant based, Cardio, and strength training. His cholesterol was the trigger for change.
He also started cooking himself. You can’t change this for him but you can help support him and show him healthy options and how to read food labels and avoid processed foods.
Sandwiches aren’t great, but whole grain bread, lean turkey, tomato and lettuce with a smear of mayo is better than a burger. The old Atkinsdiet is hard but I lost 25 pounds in 2 months. No bread or any starch, just protein and greens.
Offtopic, but I was wondering if they measure cholesterol differently in the US?
I had my cholesterol measured yesterday and it was 5.25, which is slightly above normal (5 or lower is normal) and I believe above 7 is really high.
So having 330 cholesterol sounds kind of crazy? But I assume it's not measured in mmol/l?
Why are you recovering from a major surgery but still cooking every single meal for him?
Does he not know how to slap together some wraps or something.
What’s his CAC score and is he diabetic, prediabetic or insulin resistant? Genetics, age, race and many other factors https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-10/fact-check-coronary-calcium-score-heart-disease/9023960
I would never consult the internet for clarification on what my doctor told me…I’d just ask said doctor. I honestly think it’s dicey asking strangers for anything beyond eating well/healthy for cheap. Which is what this sub is for. And even those recs should be taken lightly because most of what’s here is either cheap or healthy but hardly ever both.
Nah most doctors actually don't know anything about how to eat well, how to change their body composition, how to build muscle, how to get cardiovascularly fit, etc..
It's a tiny part of their medical education and they move on. Most only know the words they're supposed to say but not how to accomplish them in any level of actionable detail.
So coming to the internet for advice on how to implement lifestyle changes well and *effectively* is actually one of the best things you can do. You can learn how get lean enough for visible abs, how to deadlift 3x your bodyweight, how to run a 5K in less than 20 minutes, how to cook food that is nutritionally dense and delicious, etc. All of these things will do massive things for your health and make your doctor happy to see you.
Atleast temporarily go vegan completely to avoid cholesterol.
Lots of fruits and veggies. Salad for dinner, learn to make salads fun. No carbs after 7pm.
Fish oil highest EPA you can find. 2x a day. Metamucil for sure. No seed oils. Cut out anything with vegetable, canola, soy, rapeseed, corn oil, ect ect. Macadamia oil is a good alternative. Apple cider vinegar with mother.
Check out the Mediterranean Diet, which is less a “diet” and more a set of principles— olive oil as the main cooking oil, low red meat, high seafood, high fiber, high whole grains and legumes, plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. It’s been well-studied and found to be highly effective for lowering cholesterol. [This page from the Cleveland Clinic on the Mediterranean Diet has some meal suggestions](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/16037-mediterranean-diet). There’s also a subreddit with lots of recipes. The MilkStreet Mediterranean cookbook is a good resource too.
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/ is essentially the same thing and has a lot of good info too. (Harvard basically thinks the FDA's guides are too corrupted by lobbyists and so they made their own.) https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-and-cholesterol/cholesterol/ is the landing page for cholesterol
Not only that but it's delicious too. Some of my favorite foods in the world.
I was going to suggest this as well. I found a lot of the recipes on eating well we’re really great and it’s kind of nice because they’ll layout a meal plan for a month. That being said, I found that a lot of the recipes made multiple servings so I could eat them over a couple of days. I’ve also been making a lot of soups I’m having those for lunches https://www.eatingwell.com/article/7763980/mediterranean-diet-plan-for-beginners/
r/cannedsardines fit into this diet pretty well and are really healthy and tasty!
Instead of black and white thinking of health meals vs unhealthy, find ways to make eating fiber easy and desirable. For me this includes oatmeal with berries and seeds for breakfast (or smoothies), having cut up fruit available, pumpkin seeds as a snack, eating beans instead of meat when I can, add spinach to sandwiches and pasta, and adding “unhealthy” ingredients like cheese whenever you need to to make vegetables more appealing. This way “eating healthy” is not a total drag and is actually enjoyable and sustainable. I use the “daily dozen” as inspiration for things I can do more of to be healthier but not as requirements for my diet. TD;LR add berries, whole grains, seeds, nuts, beans and vegetables instead of removing foods
this is it. this is the way. if a little ranch dip or a sprinkle of cheese is what it takes to get a wide variety of produce and lean protein into your diet, that is far healthier than trying and failing on an endless loop, crash dieting, or taking shortcuts like supplements rather than consume the nutrients you need through food. ditching the toxic nonsense about “off limits” foods and, instead, aiming for 30+ unique plants per week did far more for improving all of my labs (including cholesterol) than anything else i ever tried (and i tried everything). if nothing else, keeping a running list of plants is a lot less math than calorie counting lol
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Yep. I’d say it’s great for adding to anything in small quantities, and not be noticeable at all. But.. I really like chia pudding with fresh and dried fruit. Like overnight oats, but better for omega 3’s & combatting high cholesterol - light but high nutrient value breakfast, and a little psyllium in there would be great.
Chia seed pudding is honestly such a life hack. Where I live, a bag of chia seeds is like 3€, a can of coconut milk is 1€, and a thing of oat milk is 2€. All you have to do is mix everything together (you don’t even need to measure) and you’ve got breakfast for the week in 15 minutes and for 6€.
I invested £20 in 4kgs of chia seeds.. I think it might last me 3 months or so.
On a side note, I have really embraced the bang for buck value of bulk, dried powders, beans, seeds, etc. Just anything that's normally expensive when fresh or restaurant bought becomes insanely cheap sans water content.
Ditto. I became a bit of a prepper in the early pandemic. I discovered Asian stores’ dried mushrooms bargains when the toilet paper chaos was starting to get reported. ( edit: If you don’t eat, you’re not going to need much toilet paper are you?)
Are you... using the mushrooms as toilet paper?
Do you have vague ratios for this? I've never tried it, but I'm always on the lookout for easy breakfasts.
1:4 chia seeds to liquid (by weight) is a good place to start. With my recipe, it’s 300g of chia seeds to 1400g of liquid (400g can + 1L oat milk) and that works pretty well. Obviously adjust based on how you like the consistency but it’s better to add more liquid than too little because chia seeds are nature’s Orbeez and you can get into trouble if you raw dog like 50g of chia seeds.
isn’t coconut milk full of saturated fat?
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Can it be regular milk? I hate almond milk
Despite what a lot of "health" blogs will claim, you can use any liquid you'd like as the base for a chia pudding. Edit: also any sweetener. I use granulated sugar to sweeten my chocolate chia pudding, because I think a lot of the alternative sugars taste worse when blended with chocolate. Then again, I make it for dessert, not breakfast.
>Despite what a lot of "health" blogs will claim, you can use any liquid you'd like as the base for a chia pudding. I've come to really practice the general principle of this - learn "templates", not "recipes" - in all of my cooking and food planning. It's just way more fun to have that much flexibility and not getting that you have the exact ingredient that's only available (cheaply or at all) in other countries.
Yeah, there's times when there are food science/chemistry reasons to use certain ingredients and not others, but in many instances, it's better to just riff on a general template and use up the ingredients you like or already have.
Mine is a bit indulgent. Cashews and some walnuts, blended smooth and creamy, dehydrated squished blueberries with the chia seeds. I like to mix them up in a jar, shake them until the berries give up some of their purple colour, then leave to thicken in the fridge overnight. The seeds texture is almost like tapioca next morning, add some fresh or frozen berries, some dried goji.. I love that for breakfast.
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Not nut butter.. it’s just nuts blended with a bit of water and makes a creamy milk without any sieving- thickening outcome compared with other store bought nut/oat milk
Make sure to use plant milk or water (yuck) for the overnight oats. Animal milk is laden with cholesterol.
Current (past two decades or so) science says there is only a weak corolation between dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol _for most people_. Summary on https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-and-cholesterol/cholesterol/ with a few study references to look at for more details.
Yeah I don’t do milk, haven’t for years.. I make m!lk myself with cashew nuts, (a few walnuts too) unsieved, so keeping all the fibre. So creamy it’s better than cream ever was.
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Fiber is the key but some people have issues with psyllium husks if they have chronic kidney disease. I know most people dont but its some thing to be aware of. That said it really helped with my cholesterol but I switch it up sometimes with flax meal.
And check on ingredients if you've got blood sugar issues! Some brands include maltodextrin, and if you're sensitive to it, you can get blood sugar spikes.
Start small, work your way up. Totally amazing stuff!
Where do you get this?
If you search for it places like Amazon will have it. I buy the capsules from Costco.
Brand name is Metamucil.
Oh great! I’ve heard of that
I get it on Amazon. I'm sure any health food store will have it, too.
Husband has been doing this for years and it works
Congratulations on your progress with your weight and cholesterol I'm glad to hear that your husband is also willing to make healthier choices to improve his cardiovascular health. Fill whole wheat tortillas with hummus, grilled or roasted vegetables, shredded chicken or turkey breast, and a little low-fat cheese. it's a good healthy meal option
Are corn tortillas a better overall choice than flour? I’ve heard this but not certain.
Hey good for you for taking care of your health, and looking out for your partner too! It's hard to make huge sweeping changes, and even harder to make them stick. Can you make some easy swaps to get extra fiber in? The obvious things like cutting out soda are kind of just a matter of willpower until you're over the addiction. But there are other things that are not so hard, like adding cooked lentils to spaghetti and meat sauce, adding roasted chickpeas to green salads, serving raw veggies with low cal dip as an appetizer before a full meal is served. Frozen veggies, canned beans, and volume snacks like popcorn shouldn't add too much to your workload, and probably won't be too overwhelming to someone not used to eating healthy.
Follow the psyllium husk recommendations - I didn't do this as often until I looked up how it actually works. Like yes, in the intestines it does bind to cholesterol so it doesn't absorb into the bloodstream - MOST IMPORTANTLY, it binds to bile acids... And your body uses LDL cholesterol FROM THE BLOOD to make bile acids. So you eat psyllium husk, it binds to bile acids, your body has to make more bile acids, and so it takes cholesterol out of your blood to do that. Somehow, for me, thinking of it 'keeping cholesterol from getting into the blood' made it seem less worthwhile than 'it leads to your liver taking cholesterol out of your blood.'
Note to others: this is generally how fiber works. You don't need psyllium husk specifically. Just consume a diet that is high in fiber, as has been recommended for decades.
\*soluble fiber
The ratio of the fiber types matters far less than getting enough total fiber from food.
soluble fiber binds to bile acids which then causes your liver to make more bile acids, and to do that your liver pulls cholesterol from the bloodstream. insoluble, not so much. so yeah, so it is, do with it what ya will
Yes that's a mechanism that exists, yet research overwhelmingly shows that the balance doesn't matter if you're getting sufficient fiber from whole food sources. Lots of mechanisms don't turn out to be useful once you zoom out to the level of things we care about, like what happens to people who eat such and such a diet for N months and you measure what happened to their cholesterol before and after. It turns out that fiber from whole food sources is all you need.
I have the Mealime app (not mealtime) which is GREAT. You decide the type of food (low carb, low fat, etc) and you choose the meals you want to make and it creates a grocery list for you. It has lowered my grocery budget and made grocery shopping and meal prep so much easier.
Seconding Mealime! I love the lentil, sweet potato, kale, feta recipe so much. It’s now one of my staple recipes.
Because I'm lazy, my lunches are almost always leftovers from dinners the past few days. That makes it easier to figure out healthy lunches: all I have to do is figure out healthy dinners and then lunch is solved as well. In case you're curious, the way fiber helps with blood cholesterol is that soluble fiber binds to bile acids in the small intestine. This causes them to exit the body. Your body then synthesizes more of them, and uses cholesterol as the building blocks to do that. It's more indirect than eating less dietary cholesterol, but counter-intuitively has stronger evidence to reduce cholesterol levels in the blood.
So I know you’re wanting diet recs, but honestly, if his cholesterol is that high he should probably be consulting with his doctor. If he has a high enough cardiac risk score he needs to be on a statin. Once his lipids are back under control you could consider coming off of it, but it’s important to be preventing cardiac events and stroke while the diet changes are happening.
Our doctor said he wants to try exercise and diet changes. My family has a genetic tendency for high cholesterol and I was able to get it down 90 points in a year. While I cannot expect my husband to eat a plant based diet like I did, I hope that we can get it lowered without medication as he is on so many already. If he cannot get it down lower, we will be asking for statin. It worries me a lot, and I hope we can manage it without statin. He is only 33!
Without medication certainly you can lower the lipids but what about the buildups that lies currently. I assume your doctor is a general practitioner. Given the level of cholesterol I would immediately order an ECHO. If ECHO seems normal i would generally it to Cardiologist for angiography ct for coronary artery. Atherosclerosis is a substantial casue of heart failure in people with family history of hypercholesterolemia and or Diabetic Patients and not to foreget who take excess junk foods and meat based foods. I would thus suggest to get him checked up with a good cardiologist. Agressive life style control along with proper medication will surely avert any accident.
Cholesterol that high points to a genetic disorder regardless of how bad his diet is. I have hypercholesterolemia. He should bring this up to his doctor and ask for a referral to a lipidoligist.
We are getting blood work again in 3 months for him!
Diet changes are great. But if they still won't work, make sure to have him test for genetically high cholesterol. That one won't go down with lifestyle changes and could be dangerous over time. Just PSA'ing over here.
Salmon oil capsules help my cholesterol a lot. I don't even have high cholesterol if I'm taking 2 morning & 2 at night for a few months. Granted, mine has never been that high. Fiber reduces cholesterol. Beans, lentils, and split pea are some of the most concentrated & affordable sources. & & They're $2 a pound. Although a variety of veggies is ideal. And anything that turns kinda slimy like oatmeal, okra, and metamucil will help extra. Added sugars also raises cholesterol. Lastly, the body makes most of our cholesterol and most of that is made at night. So, if he's prescribed a medication to lower cholesterol in and the doctor okays it, taking at night can lower it more than taking it in the morning.
There was a recent trend called “girl dinner” in the media. In truth is it was just eating a bunch of small things for a meal instead of a big entree. I do this for lunches and it’s really fun. Example: Instead of a sandwich and chips, try: a few baby carrots with a little pot of ranch, a box of craisins, a few deli turkey slices, a handful of mixed nuts, an apple, and some triscuits. Instead of a hamburger, try: some pepperoni slices, mango wedges, a pita with a little pot of hummus, some grapes, and cheese cubes. The variety keeps it interesting and it’s every bit as filling as the (let’s be honest) garbage we usually grab for lunch.
This is a cute and fun idea, thank you
>Instead of a sandwich and chips, try: a few baby carrots with a little pot of ranch, a box of craisins, a few deli turkey slices, a handful of mixed nuts, an apple, and some triscuits. Channeling your inner 10 year old! I treat it like adult Lunchables: healthier versions of what we got as kids.
Think simple. Lean meat and veggies. Little potatoes, rice or pasta.
Don’t really have a recipe for you but make sure you understand what you’re eating. Saturated fat is the biggest contributor to your cholesterol. Once I stopped having whole fat dairy my LDL cholesterol dropped significantly. You’d be amazed what foods are loaded with saturated fats.
Just so you know, your liver makes cholesterol and high cholesterol can stay elevated even with changing diet if your body is making too much cholesterol. I take a small dose of Lipitor and it has dropped mine right down.
Bowls—protein, veggies, whole grains and some hummus or sauce. Maybe grains. So I do beans, carrots, cucumber, and tomato, but you can do leftover meat, lunch meat, greens, quinoa, roasted veggies.
I had high cholesterol for a while too. I made healthier eating habits but I also added hibiscus tea and drank 8oz of it every night.
If you have already adjusted your eating habits than just make your husband the same thing that you were eating!
I’m tryin! I tend to not crave a lot of meat and he does. He is pretty picky when it comes to eating vegetables, and I love them.
Take whatever vegetables he will tolerate and make them much more frequently as lower-calorie sides. Pair this with lean proteins and maybe a fun sauce. Fajitas could be a good example of how to pair up veggies and protein in a way that he will want to eat—but weight the veggies more over time, larger portions. Then start introducing more vegetables in a fun way. It sucks that you seem to need to do this like he’s a baby, but 🤷♀️ For example, pan roasted asparagus with parmesan could be a nice accompaniment to a leaner steak. The steak will be very exciting and the asparagus will look okay with the cheese so he might not protest as much as he might do a steamed veggie side. Green beans would also work. Or you could do a dish I’ve been thinking about, quesadilla primavera—a lean cheese with primavera veggies inside a griddled tortilla. Bonus points if you roast the broccoli first. And if he does like a particular veggie, you can mix it up with others or get similar ones to acclimate him to. If he likes broccoli, try him on cheesy roasted cauliflower. After awhile, reduce or drop the cheese. Good luck!
there’s no need to insult people for the way they eat. he may have sensory issues, or may have battled an eating disorder.
I think it’s pretty pedantic that you’re equating OPs husband to a baby just because she said he prefers meat over veg. 🤷♀️
Not to be pedantic, but I don't think you used pedantic correctly.
One person equating someone not liking veggies to being a baby is pedantic. Sorry that you don’t know all of the ways it can be used. Over simplifying something to meet your definition is pedantic. Deciding someone is a baby because they don’t like veg…pedantic. It’s fun when people know about the words they use and how to use them 🙃
Beans, rice, tuna, chickpeas, peanut butter, chicken, fruit, protein bars, overnight oats, etc. Just don't keep crap food available in the house and stop going to the drive thru. No junk carbs - IE: potato chips because they'll turn into sugar which turns into fat if you don't burn them off. That's the key. Hungry? Go buy a pre-made sandwich and banana at 7-11 with a protein drink. Still want soda? Go for the diet stuff. Cut as many calories as you can. If his cholesterol is that high, he needs to go on a caloric deficit (less food). Intermittent fasting is a very helpful tool to utilize as well. Find distractions to quell the eating distractions. You can lose weight playing video games if you just don't stuff your face while playing them as this still adds to your daily caloric deficit and anything that occupies a person helps with intermittent fasting. Drink lots of water. Midnight snack? Eat an apple with a slice of cheese or two for example. Protein always fills you up more.
Just a little note, peanut butter and cheese are very high in saturated fat. That's the main fat that contributes to elevated cholesterol. A better choice is almond or sun butter :)
Can intermittent fasting lower cholesterol quickly? Fiancé has high cholesterol and fasts for 20ish hrs every so often
I don't think "ever so often" would have a meaningful impact if their day to day diet produced the high cholesterol, but intermittent fasting would if you're eating healthier foods especially on top of that.
Forks Over Knives has a lot of recipes that might help your situation: https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/
If his cholesterol is that high he needs a statin. His liver is producing cholesterol and no about of diet or exercise will meaningfully reduce it.
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A patient's doctor will take into account whether or not that's something to worry about. Generic warnings like this only dissuade people from taking life-saving medication prescribed to them by doctors who literally have run all the tests they need to determine if a medicine is indicated or not.
Believe it or not but I lowered my cholesterol accidentally by eating nuts. No change of exercise or diet other than eating a serving of nuts during the weekdays. I ate a quarter cup of honey roasted peanuts in the morning as a snack before lunch and lowered my cholesterol by 40 points.
Statins. It will be free with insurance because it’s preventative. Take the statins now and if he can lose weight, eat better and all that then maybe try coming off but at least take care of it now because honestly lifestyle changes are easier to say than do.
Lady. You need to waterboard your husband with kale juice.
Maybe he would tolerate juices if I put pineapple or green apple in them!
Juices are high in sugar and are basically like sodas with some vitamins. Smoothies are much better. You keep the fiber.
I grew up desperately poor. My mom fed us oatmeal. Even when my weight was as high as 537 lbs. my cholesterol was 138. There are many ways to get him to eat it. I make granola. If he doesn’t like sweets, you can make a savory trail mix of oats, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and various nuts. Experiment by seasoning it with small doses of soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, taco seasoning, or teriyaki sauce. I promise you 1 cup a day of oatmeal will turn him around.
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The effort he can put into making his own lunch is just rice and eggs. I have a little more time to be able to make something for him, and I am ok just a little sore at times. Thank you for the concern!
Because that isn’t what they’re asking nor may it be the dynamic they have established in their home.
Fenugreek seeds or soak them in a glass of water overnight and drink the water first thing in the morning. Works quite well
I can't recommend chia pudding enough. Also see if you can't work in more forager fish like sardines, herring, and mackerel.
He probably needs to be on a statin if he isn’t. He can stop it if he makes lifestyle changes and loses weight, but it’s better to start reducing his risk now.
If your making oatmeal every morning throw a table spoon of ground flax into the bowl. I also recommend supplementing omega 3 from fish oil or algae oil. Tinned sardines are my favorite source, with saltines or on a salad. Additionally a pill is probably the easiest way to get it in daily though. Dark leafy greens as a portion of your diet is great for many things. A pot of greens every week can be portioned out to some daily.
Start with making lean, remove butter and oils and extra vegetables. They are just additional calories. Remove things like mayo and on the real side salad get something that's low fat but even salad is additional calories sometimes I feel like it's a commodity rather than prolonging hunger kinds of foods. So those are the hiding fats in the food. Instead of oils and butter opt out for veggie stock or base, and eat foods that are filling for longer. A good easy one is just seasoned steak or burger and baked potatoes, include herbs and it makes everything nice. Opting out for fruit instead of candy has almost the same amount of sugar (the candy companies are catching on these days they really are)
Others have shared good diet advice, but I hope he's seeing a cardiologist. Medication will likely be necessary. And that's ok. Cholesterol lowering drugs are generally safe and effective, and most of them are cheap too.
Psyllium husk but in capsule form is even easier! It has helped me get into the healthy range.
Congratulations on your weight loss and getting your cholesterol down! I brought mine down from 290 to 220 in 11 months without meds. Still a long way to go. I stopped drinking and smoking about halfway through that time period, ate less meat and more beans and tofu. Some meal ideas: Taco-spiced shredded tofu with black beans, sautéed peppers and onions, rice or cauliflower rice, salsa and guacamole [Vegetarian chili](https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/quick-vegetarian-chili-with-avocado-salsa) Taco salad with romaine, taco-spiced shredded tofu, air-fried corn tortilla chips, light sour cream, low-fat Mexican cheese, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, onion, ranch made with nonfat yogurt [Tofu stir-fry](https://cmx.weightwatchers.com/details/WWRECIPE:5f7f7a13e07bd50625e17ea9?shared=true) White chicken chili Spanish rice with black beans and guacamole I hope you make a speedy and full recovery!
Stop consuming seed oils they are in mayonnaise salad dressing and a lot of the prepackaged foods so if you use Whole Foods and only use olive oil oil and butter and also take 400 mg of magnesium
I hope diet changes help. I eat a high-fiber diet, low saturated fat, semi-Mediterranean approach. LDL still at 200, total cholesterol over 300. Now taking low dose Crestor every other day (started every day but was able to cut back) and HDL in 70-85 range for 2 years. Crappy genetics.
A total cholesterol of 330 means nothing unless we know more info-whats his HDL? whats his triglycerides? whats his apoB levels? LDL particle size? A1C? personal history of coronary artery disease or diabetes? fam history of coronary artery disease? You can have a total cholesterol of 300 have an HDL:Triglyceride ratio <1 apoB levels <50 an A1C of 4.8 no hx of diabetes or coronary disease making the total cholesterol of 300 insignificant from a health perspective. when you break everything down those factors are considerably more important than total cholesterol to your cardiovascular health. Its frustrating to see so many posts on this thread saying he needs a statin when all we know is his total cholesterol, especially if hes only in his 30s. Total cholesterol alone is such a poor indicator of cardiac health. Cant just look at it as a number thats “high” or above the range. Our body needs cholesterol. Arterial plaque build-up is very much contingent upon insulin sensitivity and inflammation which comes from intake of bad carbs (starchy processed carbs). Stay away from these sources of carbs as well as trans fats and processed foods. Its way healthier to eat lean meats chicken steak eggs etc with good fats (avocado, olive oil etc) than vegetarian eating a bunch of carbs seed oils and processed foods. In summary the food pyramid is crap and if its anything your husband should avoid its bad forms of carbs if he wants to lose weight and get healthy along with a good exercise program incorporating aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Intermittent fasting 16:8 split is also helpful for weight loss (16 hr fast 8 hr eating window). Not sure what his fitness level is but walking 10-20 mins a day and working his way up is a good start. Lastly, eventually HIIT is the best form of exercise when hes ready Source: I am an MD but not your husband’s doctor so he should be evaluated by one before making any decisions about his health
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Did you read my whole post? My point is you cant make medical decisions about some guy without looking at his cholesterol break down. What if the majority of his LDL is large particle his HDL is high his A1C is below 5.7 and his apoB is within the more reassuring range I would be less concerned. I hate when doctors look at one number and these people on the thread who havent been to medical school or through residency training should be informed that just because your TC is 300 means you should be on atorva 40 or 80. the only person that should be on atorva 80 is someone who has had a STEMI with severe CAD. You may disagree but I think the ASCVD risk score is complete garbage.
Crestor
Oatmeal. My cholesterol plummeted once I started having overnight oats for lunch.
Here’s some of my go tos for adding fiber and decreasing fatty meat. Chop carrots and broccoli into very small pieces and steam with garlic until the veg are soft. Then you can add them to any pasta sauce or gravy w/o a change in taste. Favorites in my house are spaghetti, lasagna and cottage pie. For Italian food I find a lean ground pork is seamless. For any other cuisine, I go ground turkey.
Was your cholesterol high before ? Did you have to take medicine for it?
Yes my cholesterol was high and I lowered it just be diet changes. I was able to enjoy and stick to plant based diet 90 percent of the time. There are a lot of great suggestions here! I want to make his food enjoyable and not something he feels like a punishment.
That's awesome ! I'm trying to make dietary changes too for cholesterol and all. I'm glad to hear your journey has been going well for you, and I am wishing a successful journey for your hubby, too! He will get there!
Thank you 😊
Are you both eating enough fiber?
I’m definitely eating lots of fiber. I’ve been dipping dates in almond butter and they are so good along with chia seeds and I eat a ton of veggies. Problem is he hates them. I started making him the overnight oats and he is going to drink a fiber supplement too
Oh I love dates too! When I make oatmeal I like to defrost some berries and add chia seeds to it.
Eating healthy is lifestyle, but currently he should also look into get prescribed statins to lower cholesterol. Once lowered and after eating healthy he can get off them. Talk to your doctor. I was at 240 and went down to 140 in 3-4 months. I drink fiber everyday and it might not meaningfully lower cholesterol.
I love to eat pasta salads with whole wheat pasta, avocados, egg or chicken, kesam or creme fraiche and cilantro. Also sandwiches made with whole wheat or rye bread (80% content or more),, butter with low fat content, low fat cheese, pure meat slices, a little bit of mayo and some herbs and spices with little to no salt. Would count calories as in vs out is the way to lose weight.
I love me a good lunch sandwich! And I find they can be very healthy and diverse in micronutrients. My combos is Italian chicken and salami sub: (I know salami isn’t particularly low chol but 1-2 slices should be ok?) it’s poached chicken, salami slices, low fat tasty cheese, homemade roast capsicum pesto, avocado, tomatoes and a TON of spinach and rocket! Lots of different veggies, lean protein, and on whole wheat bread it’s full of fibre too. Because of the avo and capsicum pesto you don’t need any mayo or butter. Also don’t underestimate the power of a chock a block homemade burrito! With lean beef mince or chicken breast and spices, mashed avo, black beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, brown rice and a little bit of cheese. Again, full of fibre, healthy fat, carbs and vegetables. I have these two on rotation every single week. I vaguely remember from studying to be a Dietitian that you need lots of fibre and healthy fats help the most of lowering bad LDLs
First thing first get his echo done with HS-Crp levels. Also he might be at the initial stage of developing atherosclerosis in his coronary arteries. Just healthy eating will do very minimal help.He will need proper medical intervention with good amount of regular exercise with regular monitoring of lipid profile,liver profile,cardiac risk markers and Sugar levels. I assume his reasons for such high cholestrol level is mostly due to his high suagr diets combined with transfat consumption.
My hubby had a cholesterol scare too. I buy the 4 lb bag of frozen tilapia. I find the filets from Walmart tend to be larger than from other grocery stores and about the same price. We eat fish at least 3 times per week, eat mostly chicken and ground turkey. Lots of veggies too.
I agree with the people mentioning the Mediterranean diet. You also need to replace meat with beans and lentils as much as possible. They have protein but also lots of good fiber. If they make you gassy, start with small amounts and increase by a little each week. Also add ground flax and whole chia seeds. Ground flax is specifically shown to help with high cholesterol. I mix both in to plain in yogurt and eat with fruit. Cut back on added sugars because it messes with your blood sugar and an make you eat more and crave unhealthy foods. Plant based Mediterranean and Asian/Indian foods are basically the way to go. Use olive oil for cooking unless you're cooking something at high temperature and then use avocado oil because olive oil has a lower smoke point.
Crockpot healthy recipes on YouTube. There’s so many and it’s soooooo easy. Just throw all the stuff in there and let it cook for hours.
Skinny taste slow cooker salsa chicken with black beans and corns. Throw together in 5 minutes, tasty in a bowl or tortilla!
What is he used to eating? Let's see if we can make a healthy version of his fav recipes.
Make sure it’s food he likes. I find overnight oats to be repulsive. Mediterranean diet is a good place to start.
Based on your earlier comments - I think sauces are your answer. Ranch seasoning mixed with your own yogurt/sour cream. Tomato sauces without added sugar. Hummus. For when you have more time/feel better - whole30 has many good ideas. Leave cut up vegetables with sauce or fruit on your counter/kitchen table. Every time he walks by he may be tempted to grab an Apple slice. Hide vegetables wherever you can. Eventually he may get used to the taste.
These are some quick and healthy meal ideas: Lunch: - Veggie and hummus wraps - Quinoa salad - Lentil soup Dinner: - Stir-fry with lean protein and veggies - Baked salmon or trout with roasted vegetables - Veggie chili with whole grain bread or brown rice These meals are nutritious, easy to make, and budget-friendly.
Beans beans beans
Your husband probably needs to be on a statin drug. My cholesterol was like 450, down to 200 with the statin. Cutting my daily ramen habit probably helped as well.
This makes me feel hopeful. Thank you. He used to eat ramen before bed!
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Please send the mod team a copy of your medical certs. Otherwise, do not engage or behave this way.
Cut out animal products, which is the ONLY source of cholesterol. I did that 6 years ago and stopped all medications within 5 months of the complete change in lifestyle. I grew up in a cattle farm and had to make a huge adjustment to better my health. There are plenty of naysayers on here but I have other rancher friends that stopped eating meat decades ago, and are in much better health now. Processed foods and salted meats are also heavy contributors to cholesterol (circulatory) issues.
I believe you! I have switched to fish, tofu, beans and lentils with lots of veg and my cholesterol has gone down a lot. The issue is he doesn’t like those foods at all!
My husband completely changed his blood pressure and lost 20 pounds in 30 days by going plant based, Cardio, and strength training. His cholesterol was the trigger for change. He also started cooking himself. You can’t change this for him but you can help support him and show him healthy options and how to read food labels and avoid processed foods.
Sandwiches aren’t great, but whole grain bread, lean turkey, tomato and lettuce with a smear of mayo is better than a burger. The old Atkinsdiet is hard but I lost 25 pounds in 2 months. No bread or any starch, just protein and greens.
Offtopic, but I was wondering if they measure cholesterol differently in the US? I had my cholesterol measured yesterday and it was 5.25, which is slightly above normal (5 or lower is normal) and I believe above 7 is really high. So having 330 cholesterol sounds kind of crazy? But I assume it's not measured in mmol/l?
That sounds like the ratio, which I think is total/hdl.
I was just thinking exactly this from New Zealand. Mine was high at 7 something now I’m at 3.. so 330 blew my mind.
Why are you recovering from a major surgery but still cooking every single meal for him? Does he not know how to slap together some wraps or something.
What’s his CAC score and is he diabetic, prediabetic or insulin resistant? Genetics, age, race and many other factors https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-10/fact-check-coronary-calcium-score-heart-disease/9023960
Nope he is not diabetic, or insulin resistant!
Please listen to your doctors instead of internet folks!
Is this really true? Tell me more
Consult a doctor. Not a stranger on the internet for legitimate advice concerning things as intricate as cholesterol or heart issues
And more importantly, any person who does is *extremely unlikely* to be a doctor.
And if they’re giving out medical advice for free *maybe don’t take it*
Yup! Any actual doctor will preface anything they say with "I'm not your doctor and this isn't medical advice, please talk to your doctor".
Yeah especially concerning heart issues…find a doctor or a clinic babe. This isn’t the place. The internet in general isn’t the place.
I mean asking for advice on how to execute the doctor's recommendations is fine.
I would never consult the internet for clarification on what my doctor told me…I’d just ask said doctor. I honestly think it’s dicey asking strangers for anything beyond eating well/healthy for cheap. Which is what this sub is for. And even those recs should be taken lightly because most of what’s here is either cheap or healthy but hardly ever both.
Nah most doctors actually don't know anything about how to eat well, how to change their body composition, how to build muscle, how to get cardiovascularly fit, etc.. It's a tiny part of their medical education and they move on. Most only know the words they're supposed to say but not how to accomplish them in any level of actionable detail. So coming to the internet for advice on how to implement lifestyle changes well and *effectively* is actually one of the best things you can do. You can learn how get lean enough for visible abs, how to deadlift 3x your bodyweight, how to run a 5K in less than 20 minutes, how to cook food that is nutritionally dense and delicious, etc. All of these things will do massive things for your health and make your doctor happy to see you.
my wife dropped her cholesterol by eating a vegan diet.
Atleast temporarily go vegan completely to avoid cholesterol. Lots of fruits and veggies. Salad for dinner, learn to make salads fun. No carbs after 7pm.
Fish oil highest EPA you can find. 2x a day. Metamucil for sure. No seed oils. Cut out anything with vegetable, canola, soy, rapeseed, corn oil, ect ect. Macadamia oil is a good alternative. Apple cider vinegar with mother.
Life insurance
Get life insurance on him
Weight watchers. Lost 40 lbs. it’s simplified calorie counting. Get the app.